*** Visvim thread: Dissertation on a Japanese Holy Spirit ***

[dieworkwear]

If you were going to explain the look and appeal of Visvim to someone, say, your dad. How would your describe it? Asking for a friend.

They mix heritage Americana with Japanese and Native American influences, which sort of gives them a nice balance between classic and streetwear fashion (for lack of better terms). More classic than really fashion forward stuff, but they're not as boring as LL Bean. Lots of remixing of vintage garments. Lots of detailing, much of which is easier to appreciate in person. Interesting use of unusual materials -- heavily textured leathers, natural dyed fabrics, mud dyes, folk-style prints, etc.

Hiroki Nakamura, the designer behind the brand, also looks super cool. And that goes a long way for the brand. NYT had a nice feature a while ago

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/...&gwh=33DD444741C882F452C11EE00CC1CD48&gwt=pay

 

[dieworkwear]

Actually, I guess an easy way to explain it is that Visvim ties well into that sort of hippie, semi-rich communities you often find in Southern California or the Bay Area. There's a perfect town in Southern California for this -- the name escapes me, which is really frustrating right now. But it's like those places with tons of trees, long winding roads down canyons, and sometimes a beach town. Former hippie creative area turned super expensive. Lots of stores that look like this:

And in that community, you find a lot of stylish people wearing vintage, bohemian stuff, but in a way that looks crunchier than a similar look in NYC. Visvim to me is like that.

 

[London]

Ha...I take the crunch out of my vis

 

[Gus]

Actually, I guess an easy way to explain it is that Visvim ties well into that sort of hippie, semi-rich communities you often find in Southern California or the Bay Area. There's a perfect town in Southern California for this -- the name escapes me, which is really frustrating right now. But it's like those places with tons of trees, long winding roads down canyons, and sometimes a beach town. Former hippie creative area turned super expensive. Lots of stores that look like this:


View attachment 892549

And in that community, you find a lot of stylish people wearing vintage, bohemian stuff, but in a way that looks crunchier than a similar look in NYC. Visvim to me is like that.

Thanks Derek for the thorough reply. One last question. How is this different than Kapital? The descriptions and article sound the same to me as a how I hear people describe Kapital.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks Derek for the thorough reply. One last question. How is this different than Kapital? The descriptions and article sound the same to me as a how I hear people describe Kapital.

Topega Canyon! That's the crunchy hippie city I was thinking of.

I think Kapital is a lot weirder. Like, a lot. The fits are much more intentionally anti-fit. The Ring Jacket is hhuugggee. Some of the other outerwear is very cropped and wide.

David Sedaris described it well, even if not literally, in piece he wrote for the New Yorker a few years ago about his shopping trip in Tokyo

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/28/david-sedaris-shops-for-clothes-in-tokyo

Spoiler: Sedaris excerpt

"Normally in Tokyo we rent an apartment and stay for a week. This time, though, we got a whole house. The neighborhood it was in—Ebisu—is home to one of our favorite shops, Kapital. The clothes they sell are new but appear to have been previously worn, perhaps by someone who was shot or stabbed and then thrown off a boat. Everything looks as if it had been pulled from the evidence rack at a murder trial. I don’t know how they do it. Most distressed clothing looks fake, but not theirs, for some reason. Do they put it in a dryer with broken glass and rusty steak knives? Do they drag it behind a tank over a still-smoldering battlefield? How do they get the cuts and stains so . . . right?

If I had to use one word to describe Kapital’s clothing, I’d be torn between “wrong” and “tragic.” A shirt might look normal enough until you try it on, and discover that the armholes have been moved, and are no longer level with your shoulders, like a capital “T,” but farther down your torso, like a lowercase one.

Jackets with patches on them might senselessly bunch at your left hip, or maybe they poof out at the small of your back, where for no good reason there’s a pocket. I’ve yet to see a pair of Kapital trousers with a single leg hole, but that doesn’t mean the designers haven’t already done it. Their motto seems to be “Why not?”

Most people would answer, “I’ll tell you why not!” But I like Kapital’s philosophy. I like their clothing as well, though I can’t say that it always likes me in return. I’m not narrow enough in the chest for most of their jackets, but what was to stop me, on this most recent trip, from buying a flannel shirt made of five differently patterned flannel shirts ripped apart and then stitched together into a kind of doleful Frankentop? I got hats as well, three of them, which I like to wear stacked up, all at the same time, partly just to get it over with but mainly because I think they look good as a tower.

I draw the line at clothing with writing on it, but numbers don’t bother me, so I also bought a tattered long-sleeved T-shirt with “99” cut from white fabric and stitched onto the front before being half burned off. It’s as though a football team’s plane had gone down and this was all that was left. Finally, I bought what might be called a tunic, made of denim and patched at the neck with defeated scraps of corduroy. When buttoned, the front flares out, making me look like I have a potbelly. These are clothes that absolutely refuse to flatter you, that go out of their way to insult you, really, and still my sisters and I can’t get enough"

Visvim isn't that weird. Certainly edgier than LL Bean and the sort of Americana they draw from, but not nearly as apocalyptic gypsy hobo vibe. And the references to folk clothing aren't as niche. They're certainly distant cousins though.

You can find a bunch of lookbooks here:

https://www.visvim.tv/lookbook/

 

[LA Guy]

If you were going to explain the look and appeal of Visvim to someone, say, your dad. How would your describe it? Asking for a friend.

Streetwear + Americana by way of Japan and then mixed back again with traditional Japanese clothing, where "Americana" is defined very broadly, from American militaria (7 hole boots, MA-1 and field jackets) to iconic streetwear staples (Chuck Taylors, jeans of all types) to Native American (often Navajo) imagery and inspirations.

The mashup is both unique, and at the same time, the individual items are often, and I hate to say it, versatile. You can wear all black boots with a very dark, tech urban look, or wear the mocassin/sneaker mashups with faded jeans and a tee for that very SoCal look, but with a bit more style, you can do head to toe Visvim looks. There are any number of permutations. And I've rarely seen a Visvim piece which leaves me cold, whether I would personally wear it or not, which is a feat.

It's really quite a bit of genius, which a lot of other companies have tried to do a version of. It's possibly the opposite of a company that makes boring basics that match with everything, but that engenders very little brand loyalty (I'm looking at any number of tech/fashion companues). Insteand, it's a company that makes very recognizable, interesting, pieces that go with any number of styles, and that many people are willing to pay a premium for.

 

[dieworkwear]

I think the most surprising thing about Visvim is the pricing, but it's not totally out of step with designer fashion. Still a bit of sticker shock though when you see the price for some items, esp in the US (rather than proxying from Japan or whatever).

 

[Gus]

Good feedback guys. Thanks for the replies.

 

[PDTN]

Can anyone recommend a bag like the Visvim medicine bag? Anything besides Goros which is way too expensive for me right now.

You might want to take a look at Simple Union and Larry Smith.

 

[whereeaglesdare]

Thoughts on whether Visvim is pricing itself out of the market?
Most people I know who were die-hard fans don't buy much anymore due to either having all the key pieces or the ever-increasing price points.
Keen to hear peoples thoughts on this.

 

[dieworkwear]

Anyone know anything about the specific leather used for these boots? Is this a cowhide? Calfskin? Overdyed Chromexcel or something?

 

[Gus]

Cool tile background. Nice boot as well.

 

[Chaconne]

You might want to take a look at Simple Union and Larry Smith.

Thank you, Sinple Union looks great and I didn’t even know Smith did leather products.

 

[Samer]

Anyone know anything about the specific leather used for these boots? Is this a cowhide? Calfskin? Overdyed Chromexcel or something?


View attachment 892997

UPPER : Horween vegetable-tanned horsehide leather
OUTSOLE : Leather outsole
REPLACEABLE OUTSOLE : Yes

Handmade Goodyear welt construction
Vegetable-tanned cow leather lining
Natural cork footbed
Specially processed brass buckle

Please Note :
The natural leather used for this product has been specially treated to create its own unique appearance and no one product is alike.
Please be aware that sizing of footwear may vary depending on the style, design, or material.

 

[dieworkwear]

UPPER : Horween vegetable-tanned horsehide leather
OUTSOLE : Leather outsole
REPLACEABLE OUTSOLE : Yes

Handmade Goodyear welt construction
Vegetable-tanned cow leather lining
Natural cork footbed
Specially processed brass buckle

Please Note :
The natural leather used for this product has been specially treated to create its own unique appearance and no one product is alike.
Please be aware that sizing of footwear may vary depending on the style, design, or material.

Thanks!